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Top: Fayssal Bazzi as D-mac, Rahel Romahn as Nick, Michael Denkha as Ibrahim and Lincoln Younes as Hassim

Bottom: Damon Herriman as Jason, Justin Rosniak as Ditch, Alexander England as Shit-stick and Chris Bunton as Evan

Photographer credit: David Dare Parker

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Abe Forsythe's black comedy Down Under is set to hit Australian cinemas on August 4.

Distributed by StudioCanal, the film is a black comedy set during the aftermath of the Cronulla riots.

As Forsythe's second feature, it is the story of two carloads of hotheads from both sides of the fight destined to collide..

Sincere, though misguided, intent gives way to farcical ineptitude as this hilarious yet poignant story of ignorance, fear and kebab-cravings unfolds, and what was meant to be a retaliation mission turns into something neither side could have imagined.

During the shoot, Forsythe told If the narrative mined comedy through the heavy drama.

.The humour turns...

Director Abe Forsythe and Studiocanal have given us the first look at the new Australian feature film set during the aftermath of the Cronulla riots.

Down Under is a black comedy about two carloads of hotheads from both sides of the fight who are destined to collide..

Sincere, though misguided, intent gives way to farcical ineptitude as this hilarious yet poignant story of ignorance, fear and kebab-cravings unfolds.

What was meant to be a retaliation mission turns into something neither side could have imagined.

Director Abe Forsythe, who is also responsible for writing the film.s screenplay, has .taken a balanced look at the ridiculous side of a serious subject..

.There is nothing more satisfying than getting people to laugh at something they feel like they shouldn.t be laughing at. Comedy is the best way to say something meaningful,. he said.

This first-look image introduces characters from both sides of the story.

The Nine Network is channelling tens of millions of dollars freed up from the end of its output deal with Warner Bros. into a record investment in local content.

Spending on local production will continue to rise over the next three years to the point where the network invests $100 million more per year than currently, executives said at the upfronts presentation today.

While Nine retains the first-run rights to The Big Bang Theory, director of programming and production Andrew Backwell said the broadcaster decided to relinquish the re-runs (subsequently acquired by Seven) because it preferred to spend the money on local content.

The 2016 line-up includes the Matchbox Pictures drama Hide & Seek, Cjz.s previously announced two-part Alan Bond miniseries House of Bond and a new factual series, Prison: First & Last 24 Hours.

Daryl Somers will return to TV as the host of You.re Back in the Room, a FremantleMedia Australia...

The ugly Cronulla race riots in southern Sydney in 2005 may seem an unlikely source of humour but that.s the backdrop of writer-director Abe Forsythe.s latest film.

Set during the aftermath of the riots, the black comedy looks at two carloads of hotheads from both sides of the fight who are destined to collide.

.The narrative mines comedy through the heavy drama,. Forsythe told If on Thursday on the last day of a six-week shoot. .The humour turns on how absurd the situations were and how they spiralled out of control. It doesn.t let the audience off lightly..

Forsythe began writing the screenplay five years ago and the project finally came together with producer Jodi Matterson and Greg Mclean as executive producer. Mclean had admired Ned, Abe.s directing debut in 2003, and the two had long wanted to work together.

The financiers are Screen Australia, Fulcrum Media, the...